HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011/03/09 - ADMIN - Agenda Packets - Charter Commission - RegularAGENDA
CHARTER COMMISSION MEETING
ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA
March 9, 2011
7:00 p.m. – Westwood Room, City Hall
The mission of the Charter Commission is to evaluate and propose changes which are
warranted in the city Home Rule Charter as provided by State Statute. Home Rule
Charters are, in effect local constitutions passed by local voters and cannot conflict with
state laws. Commissioners are appointed by the Chief Judge of Hennepin County District
Court and serve on a volunteer basis. (Commissioners are not appointed by City Council.)
Staff provides assistance to prepare agendas and performs other ministerial duties.
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call & Attendance
a. Requests for Excused Absences
b. Introduction of New Member and Reappointments
c. 2011 Term Expirations
3. Approval of Minutes – April 14, 2010 Charter Commission Meeting
4. Old Business
a. Charter amendments – Revised City Charter
Primary Election and candidate filing dates
Finance Director/City Treasurer
5. New Business
a. Election of Officers
b. Proposed Annual Report for District Court – Year 2010
c. Legislative Update – Gary Carlson
6. Future Meetings
7. Communications
8. Adjournment
For more information or questions regarding this agenda,
please contact Nancy Stroth at (952) 928-2840
or Chair Brian Fiderlein at 952-926-0596.
Auxiliary aids for individuals with disabilities are available upon request.
To make arrangements, please call Administrative Services
at (952) 924-2525.
OFFICIAL MINUTES
CHARTER COMMISSION MEETING
ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA
April 14, 2010
7:00 p.m. – Council Chambers City Hall
1. Call to Order
Chair Fiderlein called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
2. Roll Call and Attendance
Members Present: JC Beckstrand, Lynne Carper, Jim de Lambert, Brian Fiderlein, Matthew
Flory, Ken Gothberg, Jim Kelly, Erica Gutmann Strohl, Gary Carlson, and Brittney Turner.
Members Absent: Jim Brimeyer (excused); Nathan Prosser (excused); Pat Skinner (excused);
and Terry Dwyer.
Others Present: Nancy Stroth, City Clerk/Charter Commission Liaison.
2a. Requests for Excused Absences
It was moved by Commissioner Beckstrand, seconded by Commissioner Carper to accept
excused absences of Jim Brimeyer, Nathan Prosser, and Pat Skinner. The motion was
unanimously approved.
3. Approval of Minutes
Chair Fiderlein inquired if anyone had changes to the minutes of March 10, 2010.
Commissioner Beckstrand requested that Item 2a Requests for Excused Absences be amended to
correct the spelling of his last name.
The minutes of March 10, 2010 were accepted as amended.
4. Old Business
4a. Charter Sections 6.09 and 6.10 Review – “City Treasurer” language housekeeping
amendments – City Finance Department reorganization
Ms. Stroth reviewed the housekeeping amendments to Sections 6.09 and 6.10 regarding the
director of finance terminology and reference to “designated City Treasurer” recently approved
at the March 10 meeting. Ms. Stroth stated that with city staff reorganization, the position of
Finance Director is now titled Controller and serves as the City Treasurer. She referred to City
Council Resolution No. 10-011 agenda attachment in which the City Council approved the
appointment of Brian Swanson as the City Treasurer on February 1, 2010. She stated the City
Attorney was contacted and indicated there would not be a concern with the word “designated”
being deleted when making reference to the City Treasurer.
Commissioner Carper indicated he reviewed the Charter for all references to City Treasurer.
Discussion took place regarding the need for consistency of terminology throughout the Charter.
It was the consensus of the commissioners to remove the word ”designated” so that all references
to City Treasurer remain consistent throughout the Charter.
Charter Commission Minutes -2- April 14, 2010
It was moved by Commissioner Kelly, seconded by Commissioner Turner to revise Sections 6.09
and 6.10 of the City Charter to read as follows:
Section 6.09. Levy and Collection of Taxes.
“Each year the Council shall levy the taxes necessary to meet the requirements of the budget for
the ensuing fiscal year in the manner prescribed by State law. The designated City Treasurer
shall transmit a statement of the taxes levied to the County Auditor annually. Such taxes shall be
collected and their payment shall be enforced at the time and in the same manner as State and
County taxes. No tax shall be invalid because of any informality in the manner of levying the
same, nor because the amount levied exceeds the amount required to be raised for the purpose
for which it was levied. Any surplus shall go into a suspense fund, and shall be used to reduce
the levy for the ensuing year.”
Section 6.10. Tax Settlement with County.
“The designated City Treasurer shall ensure that all monies in the County Treasury belonging to
the City are promptly turned over to the City according to law.”
The motion was unanimously approved.
5. New Business
Commissioner Kelly indicated he would not be seeking reappointment for his term ending in
October.
Commissioner Gothberg proposed that the commission move ahead to meet again in March of
next year.
6. Future Meetings
Chair Fiderlein cancelled the September 8, 2010 previously scheduled meeting and set the next
meeting for Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.
7. Communications
There were no communication items.
8. Adjournment
Motion by Commissioner Kelly, seconded by Commissioner Beckstrand to adjourn the meeting
at 7:20 p.m.
The motion passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted by: Nancy Stroth, Liaison and Lynne Carper, Secretary
ST. LOUIS PARK CHARTER COMMISSION
ANNUAL REPORT
Calendar Year Ending December 31, 2010
The St. Louis Park Charter Commission is active and met twice in 2010. The Charter
Commission revised the City’s Charter in March and April of 2010 and asked the St. Louis Park
City Council to prepare two minor housekeeping amendments to the City’s Charter. The City
Council unanimously passed the amendments in June 2010 and the revised Charter became
effective October 6, 2010.
Charter Review
The Charter Commission held elections for officers at its annual meeting on March 10, 2010.
Commissioner Brian Fiderlein was re-elected to the position of Chair, Commissioner Patrick
Skinner was re-elected to the position of Vice Chair, and Commissioner Irving Lynne Carper
was re-elected to the position of Secretary. At the March 10 meeting, commissioners discussed
and unanimously voted to amend Sections 4.03, 4.06, 6.09, and 6.10 regarding municipal
elections and city staff positions.
• Sections 4.03 Primary Elections and 4.06 Nomination by Petition were amended to revise
language regarding Primary Election day and candidate filing dates for consistency with state
statute requiring Primary Elections to be held on the second Tuesday in August.
• Section 6.09 Levy and Collection of Taxes and 6.10 Tax Settlement with County were
amended to replace Finance Director references to state “designated City Treasurer”. With
city staff reorganization, the Finance Director position was recently titled Controller and
included the responsibility to serve as City Treasurer
Commissioners met again on April 14, 2010 to further discuss the director of finance
terminology and reference to ”designated City Treasurer. The commissioners unanimously
voted to amend Sections 6.09 and 6.10 by removing the word “designated” City Treasurer to be
consistent with all references to City Treasurer throughout the Charter.
On June 7, 2010 the City Council held the public hearing and approved first reading of the
ordinance without change. At the second reading on June 28, 2010, the City Council
unanimously approved the amendments which became effective October 6, 2010.
Commissioners resigning from their positions were Janice Loftus and Linda Jennings on March
1, 2010; Steve Fillbrandt on March 22, 2010; and James Kelly on October 18, 2010. New
Charter Commissioners appointed in 2010 were James Brimeyer, Matthew Flory, and Tamara
Nugteren. Commissioners reappointed were Erica Gutmann Strohl on February 5, 2010 and
Gary Carlson on November 12, 2010.
Respectfully Submitted: Brian Fiderlein, Chair Nancy Stroth, Staff Liaison
2820 Vernon Ave S City of St. Louis Park
St. Louis Park MN 55416 5005 Minnetonka Blvd
952-285-5106 St. Louis Park MN 55416
952 928-2840
NAME/TITLE
(APPT DATE)
ADDRESS/ZIP CONTACT INFO TERM
EXPIRES
Beckstrand, Jon (JC)
(2/6/2008)
4386 Wooddale Ave S
55424
(W)
(C)
952-656-8520
612-810-8495
jbeckstrand@comcast.net
jc.beckstrand@aon.com
1/30/2012
Brimeyer, Jim
02/05/10
1306 Westwood Hills Rd
55426
(W) 952-767-0722
brimgroup@aol.com
1/22/2014
Carlson, Gary
(10/12/2006)
4018 Quentin Ave S
55416
(H)
(W)
(C)
952-926-6968
651-281-1255
612-791-8783
garyncarlson@comcast.net
10/2/2014
Carper, Irving Lynne
Secretary (4/29/2003)
4010 Highwood Rd
55416
(H) 952-928-9846
ICarper1@Fairview.org
12/11/2012
de Lambert, James
(1/3/06)
9257 W. 22nd Lane
55426
(C)
(W)
612-750-6680
763-489-3150
jimd@liesch.com
3/14/2013
Dwyer, Terry
(2/12/2008)
3810 Ingelwood Ave S
55416
(H) 952-922-8750
dwyer816@yahoo.com
2/12/2012
Fiderlein, Brian
Chair
(3/22/01)
2820 Vernon Ave S.
55416
(H)
(C)
952-285-5106
952-201-5985
bfiderlein@gmail.com
3/12/2013
Flory, Matthew
(3/1/2010)
3244 Edgewood Ave S
55426
(H)
(W)
(C)
952-681-7688
651-255-8190
651-335-8926
livinginlenox@gmail.com
3/1/2014
Gothberg, Ken
(10/10/2006)
3411 Aquila Lane
55426
(H)
(W)
952-933-2935
612-875-4080
kgothberg@msn.com
6/19/2011
Prosser, Nathan
(12/11/2008)
6020 Minnetonka Blvd
55416
(W
(C)
612-339-6900
952-412-6483
ndprosser@yahoo.com
12/11/2012
Nugteren, Tamara
(11/12/2010)
1637 Utah Dr. S
55426
(H) 952-544-4038
tnugteren@earthlink.net
10/18/2014
Skinner, Patrick
Vice Chair
(10/9/2006)
3336 Huntington Ave S
55416
(C) 651-895-5041
patskinner@earthlink.net
11/21/2012
Gutmann Strohl, Erica
(8/25/2009)
2828 Dakota Ave S
55416
egstrohl@gmail.com 3/1/2014
Turner, Brittney
(2/12/2008)
5920 Oxford Street #15
55416
(H) 952-426-1909
dohe0023@umn.edu
2/12/2012
Vacant
Stroth, Nancy
Staff Liaison
5005 Minnetonka Blvd
55416
(W)
(C)
(Fax)
952-928-2840
612-418-8986
952-924-2170
nstroth@stlouispark.org
Charter Commissioner Roster
1/20/2011